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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23695630">Never</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakesword/pseuds/fraldariuwus'>fraldariuwus (sakesword)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dating, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Japan, Singing, Tsunderes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:07:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,412</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23695630</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakesword/pseuds/fraldariuwus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Wake up, commute via rail, work, feign social niceties, commute via rail, kendo. Felix, the heir to the Fraldarius corporation, has been living a simple, mostly thankless life paying his dues as a salaryman in Tokyo. One night, his best friend, Sylvain, drags him to an idol show in Akihabara; Felix never expected a gorgeous star like Dorothea would take an interest in him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dorothea Arnault/Felix Hugo Fraldarius</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Never</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Warning: There’s nothing E-rated about chapter 1, but I am planning for this to get there, so I marked it as such!</p><p>I’ve been thinking about this AU since I wrote my first Dorolix fic so I’m so happy to finally be realizing it! Hope you enjoy &lt;3.</p><p>Written for Day 1 of <a href="https://twitter.com/dorolix_weekend">Dorolix Weekend</a> Sweet/Spicy/Tea.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“The doors are closing,” a computerized female voice booms over the train’s speaker. For a Friday night, the Yamanote Line is not too crowded and Felix was able to secure a seat. With his briefcase on his lap, Felix’s eyes glaze over as he scrolls through his phone. Felix clicks a link to an article about the latest athlete to go pro in the competitive kendo scene, but he barely makes it past the first paragraph before green LINE spam notifications begin floating over his screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: Hey you're coming tonight, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: I can pick up your ticket</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Felix vaguely recalls Sylvain mentioning something about a concert, but he’s been so swamped with work and happy hours this week he forgot tonight is the night. The thought of another evening of social interaction, even with his best friend, turns Felix’s stomach.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Felix: do i have to</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: Please, Fe</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: Just come out with me</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: There's even a meet and greet</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: You like Annie don’t you???</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: The girl performing tonight is a newcomer from the same producer</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: And she's gorgeous</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: I'll treat you to yakiniku soon</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The messages pop up in such rapid succession that Felix doesn’t even get a chance to read them thoroughly before responding. Sylvain must be excited; if Felix doesn’t go he’s never going to hear the end of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Felix: if i go… do u promise not to make me ever again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: I promise!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: You're going to like it, though</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Sylvain: See you at 6! I'll meet you at the Electric Town exit!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Felix: k</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stuffing his phone back into the pocket of his slacks, Felix sighs. Even though Sylvain is probably the most suave person Felix knows, he still hangs out in Akihabara. Sylvain claims it's only to interact with cute girls dressed in cosplay and upcoming idols, but his robust collection of PVC figures tells a different story.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s 5:26pm according to Felix’s minimal steel watch, he got off work early today, but there’s no time to head home before going to Akiba. Though it will be teeming with other salarymen and NEETs, a drink doesn't sound so bad, provided Sylvain doesn’t drag him somewhere with maids hawking cat ears and Polaroid photos. A wholesome jingle sounds as the train stops and Felix funnels out with the rest of the passengers, riding the escalator to the station’s lower floor, walking by the capsule machines to where Sylvain is waiting beyond the gate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Fe!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike Felix, Sylvain is dressed fashionably, he didn’t just come from an office building. There’s a chance Sylvain had a modelling gig today, but it’s more likely he lazed around all morning swiping through dating apps. <i>You could do what I do, Fe</i> Sylvain always teases, Felix is disgusted by the mere recollection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> In truth, working isn’t a necessity for either Felix or Sylvain, due to their fathers’ positions as CEOs of subsidiary companies of the Faerghus conglomerate. But Felix isn’t going to accept a life where everything is handed to him; even if it was nepotism which initially got him his job. Though Felix hates the social obligations expected of a cog in the machine, this is the way of the world he’s living in. Any and all free time he has outside of Fraldarius corp’s demanding hours is devoted to kendo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shall we get a bite to eat before the show?” Sylvain asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine by me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as Felix and Sylvain round the corner of Akihabara’s main street, they are interrupted by a girl in a maid outfit yelling, “Welcome home, master!” Ignoring whatever she shoves toward him, Felix averts his gaze and increases his pace, almost reaching the end of the block before he realizes Sylvain hasn’t followed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Felix cranes his neck to assess the situation, he sighs to himself audibly. Of course, Sylvain is chatting with the maid, clutching a flyer in his hand. Felix’s eyes roll as far back into his skull as they can before he stomps toward Sylvain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you coming or not?” Felix demands. Sylvain always does this; now that Felix has agreed to go to the live, there’s no way he’s also eating a mediocre set meal at a maid café.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Felix, this is Mitsuru,” Sylvain introduces the girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Master Gautier is one of our favorites! We always have so much fun playing board games with him!” the girl gushes. “Will you be joining us, tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix shoots a well-practiced fiery glare at Sylvain in an attempt to reign him in. Thankfully it succeeds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I apologize, but not tonight. I’ll be back soon, though!” ‘Mitsuru’ smiles sweetly at Sylvain. The fake relationship between them makes Felix ill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aww, okay! Have a wonderful evening, Master.” Felix does not acknowledge when she bows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go,” Felix says, “I need a drink.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Long week?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it ever not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They cross the street into the electronics shop-crowded back alleys of Akiba, “I know a place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The waitresses better not be in costumes,” Felix snaps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I know another place, then,” Sylvain laughs, turning to their left.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p><br/>
<span>*</span><br/>
</p>
</div><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a decent pork cutlet and a mug of Sapporo, Felix is beginning to feel slightly less belligerent. Sylvain’s eyes go wide as he checks his watch, “Shit, it’s already 7:15, we should head over. I wanna buy some merch before it starts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s not too long of a trek to get to the venue, but there’s already a line of sweaty otakus wrapping around the building, even though the performance won’t start for another hour. Felix’s boring business suit and briefcase clash spectacularly with the anime t-shirts and hoodies most of the crowd is wearing. Many of their chests are emblazoned with the same character, a purple-haired girl in a school uniform with a sparkling sword. Sylvain probably knows what it is, but Felix doesn’t care to ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead Felix scans the area, his eyes settling on a poster of the main act. Hot pink block letters shout DOROTHEA over a highly-edited photo of a pretty girl with cascading auburn curls, blowing a kiss, on a glittery rose background. Mittelfrank Agency seems to have attempted to produce a sexy image for Dorothea, rather than the cute and sweet vibe they went for with Annie. Felix is unfazed by the ruffly garnet dress showing off Dorothea’s tits, but he finds himself staring at her emerald eyes, even though they have likely had their color enhanced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few of the otakus are grasping the same picture in their hands, probably hoping to get an autograph later. Once they are finally in the venue’s foyer, Sylvain starts toward </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> line for merch; Felix huffs, “I’ll meet you inside.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he waits in the auditorium seat, Felix fidgets with his phone. tapping on Twitter, closing it, then tapping on it again, browsing Kendo forums, reading threads he’s already read, rinse repeat, until he is interrupted by a small clear plastic cylindrical object rolling down his lap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> “What is this?” Felix glances up to find that Sylvain has returned with a poster curled under his arm and a similar device in his own hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Fe, it’s a glowstick. Remember when we went to Annie’s live?” An image of the lame crowd pumping their arms to the music forms in Felix’s mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t be serious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be fun!” Sylvain smiles and takes the seat next to Felix, “The sticks are programmed to light up with the song!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh. You have two hands.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just hold it. You don’t have to turn it on if you don’t want to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” Felix places the glowstick on the floor next to his black leather briefcase.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The atmosphere of the venue transforms as the lights are dimmed and a spotlight flicks on to point at center stage. The girl from the poster steps onto the stage, ruby dress twinkling, the clack of her heels echoing throughout the auditorium the only noticeable sound as the audience is captivated by her entrance. Sylvain nudges Felix, whispering “See! Told you she’s gorgeous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hiiii everyone! I’m so happy you all could make it tonight!” Dorothea pauses to allow the crowd to cheer, “This year has been so exciting! I’ve been all over Japan, but my heart will always be right here with you in Akiba. Let’s start this off with a bang! This song has been one of my favorites, you might recognize it from TV.” She winks, before picking up the mic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvain turns his glowstick on as Dorothea begins to sing the saccharine, overproduced drivel that must be from some anime. When Felix takes his eyes off the stage for a second, Sylvain looks absolutely captivated, colorful lights bounce off of his face as he waves his arm in sync with the rest of the fans who must know this song by heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though anisong isn't Felix’s preferred genre, he has to admit that Dorothea has a nice voice and she executes the choreography well, covering the whole stage as she dances. It's always a relief when performers can sing without autotune; this isn’t a completely disappointing experience. As the concert proceeds, Dorothea takes short breaks between songs to interact and flirt with the audience as if she actually wants to get to know them. Felix doesn’t care which audience member came how far, from which country, he just wishes she’d just get on with the music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This next piece... is a bit different. This song…” Dorothea lowers her voice somewhat, returning the mic to its rest, “I wrote it, it’s from my heart. It’s called <i>Never.</i>” The previously neon pink lights behind her fade to a simple, unsaturated white and silence overtakes the crowd as Dorothea begins the first verse, standing still before the mic stand, her voice soft yet powerful over the simple guitar backing track.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a song about losing everything and never getting it back; it’s about being alone. The lyrics resonate with Felix, though he wonders if she actually wrote this or if this is just another stunt for her image. Either way, it’s easily the best of the evening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The myriad glowsticks emit a dull grey light as the otakus sway them slowly. After the first chorus, the song picks up and its tone transitions from somber to almost ragelike, the glowsticks shine an angry red. Dorothea’s beautiful voice is consistent throughout and Felix is even more impressed to be hearing something like this at a random Akihabara idol show. He’ll have to download this one later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When <i>Never</i> ends, it’s as if the auditorium is empty, no music, no conversations, no phones vibrating, no one even rustling through their bag. A few individual claps sound that soon crescendo into a deafening chorus of applause and cheers from the audience. Sylvain yells, “Woo!” Even Felix brings his palms together to form the foreign configuration of appreciation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you all so much for coming! I’ll see you at the meet-and-greet!” Dorothea bows and exits. Staring at the empty stage, Felix is blindsided for a moment before Sylvain rises and turns to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fe? You okay? Let’s get going, we’re going to be at the end of the line.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine.” Pushing up off of the chair, Felix follows Sylvain back to the venue’s entrance hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You looked like you were really enjoying it,” Sylvain comments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” Felix feels the blush creep onto his face; he hates that Sylvain knows him so well sometimes</span>
</p><p>
<span>“Don’t worry, I got a poster for you too.” Sylvain winks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
    <span><i>Another line.</i></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though it takes what seems like an eternity, eventually Felix and Sylvain near the front of the queue and observe Dorothea’s conversation with the fan ahead of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! What’s your name?” She beams, “did you enjoy the show?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The otaku stutters, “Ye...yes! Will you please sign this Doro-chan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, darling!” Dorothea uses a silver permanent marker to autograph the poster with flourish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say cheese,” the photographer says as Dorothea poses, pursing her lips next to the fan’s cheek. Just as the camera flashes, the man puts his hand on Dorothea's exposed back, Felix can see Dorothea physically recoil, but her smile does not waver. It must be a pain to deal with that on a regular basis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the fan departs, it’s their turn and Sylvain struts toward Dorothea, dragging Felix up to the meet and greet area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, boys.” Dorothea’s speaking voice is so much more soothing than when she was excitedly bantering on stage. Her makeup is rather heavy, and her dress is even more embellished and intricate now that Felix can see it up close. It looks uncomfortably tight, she must be cold. “Looks like you got all dressed up for me. Nice suit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… uh…” she must notice the briefcase Felix is holding, is she really chiding him right now?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvain interrupts, “Doro, I’m such a big fan! You were amazing out there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you're too kind!” Dorothea flutters her lashes at Sylvain, “Which song did you like?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“<i>Swordheart</i> of course! It’s your most famous for a reason!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix doesn’t realize she’s asking him for a moment, “<i>Never</i>. I suppose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? That's mine, too.” The direct eye contact she makes with Felix causes him to blush, even though having this privilege is exactly why Sylvain bought the meet-and-greet passes. This really isn't much different from when Sylvain pays for the company of girls in maid costumes, the only explanation Felix can think of for why he is getting flustered is Dorothea’s voice</span>
  <b>.</b>
  <span> It’s so sensual, yet there’s a lingering whisper of tenderness that Felix couldn’t have ever anticipated when he was watching her bounce around the stage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you please sign these?” Sylvain asks, unrolling the two posters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course! Who am I making them out to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sylvain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, how do you spell that?” Dorothea signs Sylvain’s poster and scrawls some stupid message on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need it. You should get back to your real fans.” It'd be so easy to just fall over himself like the rest of these degenerates, but after how many people have come after him for Rodrigue’s money, Felix won't even allow an idol to flirt with him at a paid appearance. Even if she is attractive and paying attention to him, and sounds like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You came all this way, you could at least sell it on Mercari later.” It's the pragmatism of the comment that catches Felix off guard; he fully expected to cringe at Dorothea moping in an attempt to endear herself to him. “I'll leave the name blank.” Dorothea winks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” Felix’s poster is now accented with a silvery <i>Dorothea</i>♡ in curly handwriting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, where's my heart?” Sylvain whines before shifting gears to unveil his true objective, “Anyway, Doro, I’d love to take you out sometime, are you free after this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, it’s a tempting offer,” Dorothea’s finger drags over her plush lips as she seems to ponder Sylvain’s advances, “but I’m much more interested in your friend.” Even though Felix is sure this is an act she performs for all of her fans,  he flushes crimson, but he’s not going to give her the satisfaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice try,” Felix scoffs, “I’m not buying more merch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ouch,” Dorothea exaggeratedly winces at Felix's words before returning her gaze to him, “I’m serious. There’s something… about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Felix and Sylvain stare, dumbfounded, for a moment. Dorothea must know who they are, this doesn't make any sense. But, before Felix can deflect, Sylvain speaks for him, “He accepts!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect! There's an ice cream shop in this area that I absolutely love!” She pulls out a piece of paper and scribbles down an address, “I’ll meet you there at 10:30.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want me to just </span>
  <em>
    <span>wait?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I trust you’ll find a way to entertain yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Felix and Sylvain step back out into the now less lively Akiba streets, the autumn air refreshes Felix's skin, cooling the warmth Dorothea brought to his face with her shameless flirtation, “I can’t believe that farce. That was ridiculous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to meet her, right?” Sylvain’s tone is full of excitement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think she really intends to meet me? Didn’t you see how I treated her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She said there’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> about you.” Even beneath the dim gleam of the waxing moon and various neon signs, Sylvain's eyes are aglow with whimsy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s just a canned line she says to everyone.” Felix hasn’t even broached the other possibility: that Dorothea knows who he and Sylvain are, who their </span>
  <em>
    <span>fathers </span>
  </em>
  <span>are. Though Sylvain would be the more likely candidate to be recognized if that were the case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It might be, but she told you where to meet her! Aren’t you curious?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Felix lies, “What am I going to do anyway? I don’t even like ice cream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Felix. How often do you get a chance to take out a girl like that? I barely have and I actively seek them out. If anything, do it for me,” Sylvain continues, “and I know you won't believe me, but I've never seen you speak to a girl that naturally before. Her line about Mercari sounded like something </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> would say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Did it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An idol is used to interacting with all types of fans; though Sylvain’s observation could have some weight in an organic setting, Felix can’t ignore the transactional aspect of their meeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please…?” Sylvain is nearly begging.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix can’t believe Sylvain is debasing himself and utilizing such a pathetic technique; he can’t believe he’s going to give in to it, “Fine. But you’re waiting with me and taking me to all-you-can-eat if she stands me up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The façade of the shop, Cutie Creams, is a nauseating pink, decorated with cheerful chibi mascots of strawberries and taiyaki fish. Blinding light pours out from the large windows even at this time of night while J-pop blares from the speakers, the sugary scent wafting through the air almost causes Felix to choke. It's the antithesis of where Felix would choose to spend his modicum of free time. Why is he here, again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. We have ten minutes to spare. Anything you want to ask, I'm here,” Sylvain sounds determined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you honestly think she's going to show up?” Felix balks, “You know we're just going to end up taking the train back together. At least we can go drink in Ebisu or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call me crazy, but I have hope, I've never seen an interaction like that at a meet-and-greet.” Sylvain starts, “anyway, normally I'd try to give you some tips, but the fact that she took an interest already tells me maybe you should just be yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don't know how to do anything else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, and Fe,” Sylvain takes out his lambskin wallet and riffles through for something, holding out his hand to Felix. “You might need this.” Felix burns up inside when he sees the condom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You…!” Felix snaps as he snatches the condom out of Sylvain's hand, stuffing it into his pocket, partially just so no one sees it, partially because… you never know. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s been so long.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a moment to breathe after that embarrassing exchange, Felix pulls out his phone. There's a notification about some cute cats and a photo of some meat from Ingrid. His finger taps the default thumbs-up response, Felix can’t form a dignified sentence right now. Dammit, why does Sylvain have to make everything about sex?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mindlessly scrolling through his Twitter feed, Felix notices the clock on the top left of his screen reads 10:32pm. His nerves dissipate as he turns to Sylvain, “I told you she wasn’t coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Felix,” Sylvain glances past him, Felix follows the direction of Sylvains’s eyes. Dorothea is there, approaching them, walking gracefully even though she has tall heeled boots on. Though her outfit is more casual now, Dorothea’s image is just as produced: khaki wool coat worn open, high waisted black skirt, ribbed burgundy mock-neck sweater with a slot exposing her cleavage… Felix flicks his gaze away, refocusing on her beautiful face. With her makeup toned down, Dorothea is somehow more gorgeous, her jade eyes sparkle like gems even when illuminated by only the fluorescent light of the ice cream shop refracted through the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for waiting.” Dorothea smiles at Felix, “I changed as quickly as I could.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix doesn’t even know what to say, she's actually here… to meet him? Normally he'd have defaulted to a response like </span>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s just get this over with</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to see you again, Doro! You look amazing as always!” Sylvain shoots Dorothea his practiced flirty smile before turning back to Felix, “Fe, I can take your poster for you. Text me if you need anything! You kids have fun!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye.” And just like that, Sylvain is off, Felix is alone. A heavy cloud of doubt looms over Felix as he ponders what step to take next. Felix’s entire body tenses and he’s brought back to reality when Dorothea’s hand grips his own. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just be yourself</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shall we go inside? It’s your treat, right?” The lighting is even more harsh once they are standing in the store, the sweet fragrance even more cloying. “Ah, I’m so glad the line is short right now.” It seems sufficiently long to Felix and the small storefront is crowded even at this time at night; he’d hate to see what it’s like during a weekend day. “I love this place! They’re super popular for their taiyaki ice cream! You may have seen it on Insta.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t use Instagram,” Felix states.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really are strange.” Dorothea peers at Felix like he’s some sort of specimen, her eyes widening as she tilts her head slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I’m so strange, then why did you want to come here with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just interested in you, is that so unexpected?” Dorothea flutters her lashes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is,” Felix admits as they near the counter. He can’t bring himself to ask outright if she knows who his father is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next in line!” The clerk calls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two of the ube and sesame swirl, please!” Dorothea orders as she steps forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any toppings?” Felix loses track of the ludicrous number of toppings Dorothea orders: kinaku, sprinkles, chocolate sauce… Just pure indulgence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And for you, sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only seats they can find together are at a horizontal table along the window, Felix is relieved he won't be expected to keep eye contact with her. Dorothea starts, “So, are you finally going to tell me your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s… Felix,” he says, “What about you? Is Dorothea your real name or is that some act?”</span>
</p><p><span>“No, it’s not an act. My mother named me that; she was a fan of Dorothea Roschmann, an opera performer.” Unsure of how to respond, Felix studies the twisted purple and grey swirl in the fish-shaped cone he’s holding. “Hey, let’s take a selfie.” Dorothea digs through her bow-accented purse to retrieve a phone with a glittery pink case.</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“Why?” Felix can’t remember the last time he’d been in a selfie, he definitely doesn’t take any of his own; he needs to deflect. “Won’t your image be tarnished if you’re seen with someone?”</span></p><p>
  <span>“I never said I was going to post it.” Felix’s heart rate picks up when Dorothea scooches closer to him, her shoulder brushing against his as she holds her taiyaki ice cream out, “put your hand next to mine.” Felix isn’t sure why he obeys. The shutter clicks and Felix cringes as the grimace he made flickers on her screen before fading back to the live camera. “Thanks! I’ll send it to you later!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dorothea doesn’t push her chair back to where it was, her cream coat is still somewhat resting against Felix as she brings the taiyaki cone to her mouth, ignoring the plastic pink spoon buried right there. It’s warm in here, even warmer when Felix notices the peek of Dorothea’s tongue licking the ice cream, “Mmmm, it’s so good!” Dorothea coos, “Aren’t you going to try it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like sweets. You know they’re unhealthy, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s actually not that sweet,” she reassures Felix, “and come on, I can tell you work out!” Felix involuntarily flexes as her manicured hand strokes his forearm. “You deserve a little dessert once in a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” She was right, the black sesame </span>
  <em>
    <span>does</span>
  </em>
  <span> have somewhat of a nutty, savory quality, “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be, but I’m still not going to finish it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I’ll have some of yours, then,” she smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If that’s what you want,” Felix says. How is she still here?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, tell me about yourself,” Dorothea attempts to stare directly into his eyes as she works on her ice cream, Felix turns toward the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want to know?” Across the street there are some now-closed used electronic shops, Felix can’t believe one of them specializes in CRT televisions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are your interests?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kendo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, that explains your physique, you must be a devoted swordsman!” Dorothea seems excited by that prospect, Felix can’t say that anyone has ever shown that much enthusiasm for his hobby. “Is that all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don't have time for much else. Even if I did, I would likely be spending it on kendo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aren't you going to ask about me?” Dorothea asks, “I just so happen to have practiced kendo when I was younger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did?” When Felix finally looks at Dorothea, she's still as radiant as before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup! I can’t tell you how many times some of those techniques helped out in my former career. Let me show you...” Dorothea lifts her phone up off the table, flicking through Instagram to find a filtered picture of her posing with a bokken. There’s an asinine amalgamation of hashtags and some thousands of likes, and her</span>
  <em>
    <span> gi</span>
  </em>
  <span> isn't exactly standard, but Felix’s eyes are only drawn to Dorothea’s well-executed stance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your </span>
  <em>
    <span>chudan</span>
  </em>
  <span> isn't bad.” It’s honestly one of the highest compliments he feels comfortable giving her, “You’ll have to spar with me next time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next time?” Dorothea teases, “Isn’t that a bit presumptuous?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wasn’t it a bit presumptuous that I’d wait for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe, but I knew you would.” Felix is at a loss for words by how easily she can give it back to him, he can only agree when Dorothea suggests, “Where to now? I suppose you’ll take me for a drink?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think!</p><p>Damn, Felix, ever consider someone might just like <i>you</i>?</p><p>Come say hi on <a href="https://twitter.com/fraldariuwus">Twitter</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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